Wireless communication networks provide application services to wireless communication devices, such as voicemail, messaging, media, or any other type of service that may be provided to a wireless device. When a wireless device is connected through an access node of a particular wide area wireless network, such as a cellular communication network, the wireless network uses authentication procedures to determine whether the wireless device is allowed to access the network. Accordingly, a system within the wireless network that provides an application service may rely on the authentication procedures to ensure the wireless device is allowed to access the application service.
To conserve wireless resources on the wide area wireless network, the wireless device may use other wireless networks, such as WIFI networks, for wireless connectivity. While the use of a WIFI network may have its benefits, a WIFI access node does not use the same procedures as the wide area wireless network to authenticate the wireless device. Therefore, if the wireless device attempts to access the application service via the WIFI access node, the system that provides the application service cannot rely on the authentication procedures to ensure the wireless device is allowed to access the application service.